Poor workmanship, inferior
materials 05/03/1996 NST-LTIMES
GOVERNMENT and developers constantly lock horns over the low-cost housing
dilemma. The ceiling price is maintained at RM25,000 so that unscrupulous
developers cannot overcharge lower-income groups. At the same time, there
seems to be little quality control over the actual building of these projects,
so that developers, in an attempt to make the most of what they would term
a "loss-making venture", cut back on the standard of workmanship and materials
used. All too often, the term low-cost is interpreted as low quality.

Cramped space to call home
05/03/1996 NST-LTIMES
M. MARUTHAMPAL, 49, lives on the third floor of a block of low-rise, low-
cost flats in Kuala Lumpur with her husband and seven of her 10 children.
This one-bedroom flat has been their abode for the past 28 years. Four of
her children are married. Three of the married ones live separately, leaving
seven children and one in-law in the flat, besides her and her husband. In
addition, three young grandchildren live with them, making a total of 13 people
in a flat measuring eight metres by six metres.

Does cheap equal poor quality?
05/03/1996 NST-LTIMES
BOTH the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) and the Consumers'
Association of Penang (CAP) speculate on a common theme. That housing, low-cost
housing in particular, should not be subject to the same market forces as
stocks and bonds. Yet, it may be difficult to understand how consumer associations
can sell housing (notoriously a seller's market) from the human angle when
worldly trends conspire to create global markets of bulls and bears in both
hemispheres, differentiated only by local indices of currency, culture or
laws.

Stop clearing our forest reserves
12/03/1996 NST-LTIMES
THE Sungai Buloh forest reserve in Selangor is the latest reserve to be earmarked
for "development". On Feb 29 Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad
Taib confirmed that 236 hectares of the forest reserve will be cleared to
make way for a predominantly low-cost housing scheme. No doubt, low-cost houses
must be built to accommodate the poor. But why do this at the expense of a
forest reserve which also acts as a water catchment area?

Revival of abandoned
Kg Bakau project 16/03/1996 NST-LTIMES
THE temporarily abandoned Kampung Bakau re-development project will be revived
soon and is expected to be completed in three years at a cost of RM150 million,
said Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim. The 60-hectare traditional
village, located in the heart of Kangar, was earmarked as a planned commercial
and residential enclave over the past several years.

Comply with new CF ruling,
Ling tells local authorities 19/03/1996 NST
KOTA KINABALU, Mon. - Local authorities which could not issue certificates
of fitness within 14 days to house buyers must report to the Housing and Local
Government Ministry. Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Ting Chew
Peh said the ruling had been enforced nationwide effective from Jan 10.

Report disproves claim by residents
20/03/1996 NST-LTIMES
THE independent soil consultant engaged to determine the cause of cracks at
houses in SS14/7G, Subang Jaya has come up with a preliminary report which
left residents in the lurch. According to Subang Jaya Assemblyman Lee Hwa
Beng, the consultant who was appointed by the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council
last year reported that the cracks were not caused by the construction of
the Shah Alam Expressway as claimed by the residents.

Developer ticked off for improper
drainage system 22/02/1996 MM
A HOUSING developer has been ticked off for designing an improper drainage
system for Taman Angsa Emas near Mambau which has delayed the issuance of
a Certificate of Fitness (CF). Menteri Besar Tan Sri Mohamad Isa Abdul Samad
said the developer has been instructed to rectify the alignment so that the
CF can be issued for the 600 unit of houses.

ACA task force to investigate
low-cost housing irregularities 26/03/1996 NST
KUALA LUMPUR, Mon. - The Anti-Corruption Agency has set up a task force to
investigate irregularities in the allocation of low-cost houses nationwide,
and has appointed a top official to lead the team. According to its spokesman,
the agency's director of investigations, Ahmad Said, who is leading the task
force, was expected to concentrate on low-cost housing in Selangor, Federal
Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Perak, Penang and Johor.

ACA satisfied with low cost
homes allocation 28/03/1996 NST
KUANTAN, Wed. - The Anti-Corruption Agency found no irregularities in the
State Housing Unit in the distribution of government low-cost houses in Pahang,
said the Deputy Menteri Besar today. Datuk Hasan Arifin said the ACA investigation
concluded that there were no irregularities.

Condos to have own building
commissioners 29/03/1996 NST
PENANG, Thurs. - The Housing and Local Government Ministry is drafting new
legislation to ensure multi-storey buildings, condominiums and common properties
are properly managed and maintained. Its minister, Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh,
said the post of building commissioner would also be created.

Plan to create post of building
commissioner 29/03/1996 BT
THE post of Building Commissioner will be created when a Bill to improve management
of tall buildings especially condominiums in the country is introduced, Housing
and Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh said yesterday. He said
that the commissioner will be empowered to take legal action and impose penalties
on occupants as well as the management of the buildings if they fail to observe
specific regulations.